


For Whom Does Not Forget

by Blue-Eyed Grimmbat (IncompetentGuy)



Category: Original Work, Persona Series
Genre: Between P4-P5, Bisexual Female Character, But also by other things, Contains appearances from Persona games 3-5, Fear/Hope, Female Protagonist, Gen, Inspired not just by Persona, OC-centric, Original Story - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2019-12-25 19:08:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18267581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncompetentGuy/pseuds/Blue-Eyed%20Grimmbat
Summary: The legends tell of a group of Persona-users known as Team Last Wish, led by an enigmatic figure named the Guardian. But is this a myth, or a prophecy about to come true?Ciel Takehara has never heard of this when she settled into her new life at Halladia Island. Nor does she know about the existence of Personas and Shadows. But when a couple of fateful nights throw her into new worlds with a power she never knew she had, Ciel is thrust into a deadly hidden war with a terrorist organization who wish to use Shadows to their advantage, using Fear as their tool.With Hope as her guiding light, Ciel and 7 other individuals will venture into the Lost Worlds with the power of Persona, in a bid to save the world from Fear incarnate...(AO3 Version, with Female Protagonist.)





	1. The Guardian

Ciel jerked awake. The first thing she noticed was that she was not in the middle of a collapsing Halladia Island trying to save a...friend, but was instead in the backseat of a van, with her father at the wheel. She remembered that they were moving to Halladia right then. How convenient.

"That was some nightmare." She thought. "Why was it so detailed, though...?"

**(We'll leave the details of that nightmare for another time.)**

"Oh, you're awake, kiddo." Her father, Shijin, smiled from the rear view mirror. 'Just in time, too. We're almost there."

* * *

_Be strong, my child_

_Your tale has only begun, the end yet to come._

_Be brave, my child_

_For the sake of what we shall become._

_On flows the tears of time_

_When we are able no longer to cope?_

_Yet still, guided by the Guardian's light_

_Forever it shall beat, the heart of Hope._

_You shall not falter in the face of fear._

_You, the Guardian, shall illuminate the shadows of life._

_Go forth, my child._

_Revive this falling world, with Hope as your beacon..._

* * *

**Wednesday, April 23, 2014**

"So...about my new school..." Ciel asked Shijin after she dropped another one of several cardboard boxes in her bedroom. "When are we going?"

"Ah, about that, we're meeting with the principal on Friday. You'll be at Monomori Academy, starting from Monday next week. Get unpacking, then get some sleep tonight, kiddo - the rest of the week's gonna be busy."

Ciel nodded, and opened the box she had just dropped, which contained her clothes. The decision to move to Halladia Island was swift, a result of not only the demands of her father's job, but also the political turbulence that had been surrounding their old city.

Recently, a terrorist group named the Hunting Party had emerged, claiming that they would bring strength to humanity through trial by fire. Ciel didn't know what exactly did they mean by that, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. The point was, Shijin Takehara moved his family - which right now included only him and Ciel - to Halladia as he thought they would be safer there.

There was also Ciel's inherent dislike for the crowded city, but that was only a minor factor.

* * *

**After School, Friday, April 25, 2014**

"So," Monomori Academy's Principal Toriya said as he faced Ciel in his office, along with her father. "I understand you'll be joining Monomori starting from next week, as a third-year. Ciel Takehara, is that correct?"

Shijin nodded. Ciel simply kept silent - she was often reserved out of the house.

The two men continued to chat as Ciel looked around. Eventually, deciding against her timid nature, she asked Shijin, "Dad, can I...walk around the school for a bit?"

The man seemed a bit surprised, but nodded. "Sure. Just be back in...15 minutes, OK?"

And so Ciel wandered around the hallways of her new school, which were crowded with students at that time - classes had just let out, and they were going home for the day, or doing club activities, or the like.

"Ah my freaking God, Yuki," She heard a boy say behind her. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to do maths? Just because I like symbolism doesn't mean I have a way with numbers!"

"But don't you want to be a codebreaker or symbologist someday?" A girl replied. "I mean, look, if you want to solve puzzles and stuff like that, you really need to work on your logic-related subjects, not just history!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Miss Idol, I wasn't planning to specialize anyw-"

"Hey, watch out!"

"Wha-?"

Ciel suddenly felt someone bump hard into her from behind, and she almost fell over, somehow managing to put her right foot up at stop her fall in time. The boy who had bumped into her wasn't so lucky, though.

"Kazuya, you ox..." The girl shook her head as the boy - apparently named Kazuya - groaned. "I admit you're way smarter than I am, but you can't-oh, are you alright?!" She yelped upon noticing Ciel.

"Sorry about that..." Kazuya got up. "Wasn't watching where I was going. Got distracted and...hey, you're not from Monomori, are you? You're not wearing the uniform."

Ciel shook her head. "Not yet."

"Oh, I get it!" The girl exclaimed. "You're a transfer student, aren't you? Ooh! I know it's weird since we just met, but maybe you can be in the same home room as me and Kazuya here and-"

"Yuki, knock it off." Kazuya interrupted. "I don't think that's happening. She looks older than us. Oh, that reminds me - you never said your name. Mind introducing yourself to us? It's always nice to have another friend, even if they're not from our year."

Ciel shrugged. At least if she was going here, she could try to make some friends. "I'm Ciel. Ciel Takehara. Third-year, if you were wondering."

"See?" Kazuya turned to Yuki, who pouted. "She _is_ older than us. Oh, this is Yuki Melai, and she's a...teen idol, apparently. Not bad either. But you can find out her stage name yourself, I always have and always will call her Yuki. And I'm Kazuya Aragishi. We're both second-years, by the way."

Kazuya had dark blue hair that hung to below ear-length, and hazel eyes, while Yuki stood out more, having dyed blonde hair tied up in a ponytail that fell down slightly over her back, ending where her chest was.

"I thought I was usually the one who introduced us..." Yuki sulked.

"Well, you snooze, you lose. And one more thing. In case you get any ideas...no, I like Yuki as a good friend, and that's that."

"Oh no I forgot!" Yuki suddenly exclaimed, dashing out the entrance. Taken aback, Kazuya quickly followed her, leaving Ciel standing near the doorway.

"Ah well..." Ciel thought. "Next week."

There was still a bit of time left, but Ciel decided to return to the principal's office anyway.

"Ah, you're back, kiddo." Shijin said as she walked in. "Great timing, too. Toriya and I just finished discussing the details (he held up a folder) and now we've got to head over to the school store, see if we can find the uniform that fits you.

* * *

To be honest, Monomori's uniform didn't look bad.

Her winter uniform, which was what she would be wearing until the end of May, consisted of a blazer with a white undershirt, an orange bow - true to the school's color - and an orange skirt that reached to a bit above her knees. The crest - an olive and several cherry blossoms, all orange, arranged in a particular way that created a face from the side - hung with the school name above the left side of her chest.

Her summer uniform - **we'll save that for later.**

Ciel studied herself in the mirror, noting how the uniforms looked on her. She had straight, black hair that ran down to just below her shoulder, blue eyes, and a slender figure.

The day, however, was still packed as Ciel and Shijin took steps to further settle into Halladia Island, located just off the east coast of mainland Japan, and a part of it as well. Eventually, when night fell, Ciel fell asleep almost immediately after her head hit her pillow.

* * *

**Nighttime, Friday, April 25, 2014**

What was this place?

The first thing Ciel noticed was that the environment around her seemed to have a lot of blue. The walls. The carpet on the floor. Even the chair she was sitting on had a blue cushion.

She also noticed that she was in...some sort of lighthouse? The room was circular and had windows, but the sky outside, if there even was one, was nothing but indigo-colored fog. There was a cyan crystal in front of her, shining its light over the ocean that lay beneath the supposed lighthouse.

But none of this compared to the sight in front of her.

Sitting on a chair opposite the table between him and Ciel was a man with a long nose and a wide smile - reminiscent of a...gremlin? Standing beside him was a girl with short, neck-length brown hair who wore clothes that looked like a mix between a bellhop, with a shirt that had black and yellow circles down the middle, and a flight attendant, thanks to the plain blue skirt she wore.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." The long-nosed man announced. "This place exists within dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a "contract" may enter. My name is Igor and I am pleased to make your acquaintance." He chuckled. "And my, you have a very interesting road ahead of you indeed."

Ciel didn't know what to do or make of this bizarre scene, but she kept silent.

"And with that," The bizarre-looking man named Igor continued. "let us look into your future, shall we?" He then put a deck of 23 cards on the table between the two, took three and spread them on the table, making the rest disappear.

 _"A tarot_ _reading?"_ Ciel thought. _"This is only getting weirder..."_

"Each reading is done with the same cards," Igor explained. "yet the result is always different..." He chuckled again. "Life itself follows the same principles, now does it?"

He then flipped the first card, to Ciel's right, over. "The Tower, in the upright position...it would seem that a catastrophe is imminent. And that disaster would be..." He flipped the second card over.

"The Moon, in the reverse position. Ah...interesting. Fear."

For the first time since entering, Ciel spoke up. "Fear?"

"It would seem that fear is spreading. It is controlling humanity more and more, and it would seem you are the one to stop it. And your beacon to do so shall be..."

Igor flipped the third card over, and paused. Even Ciel could feel the uncomfortable silence that was suddenly hanging in the air.

Then he chuckled again. "Yes...I see now. Marvelous! Perhaps Hestia was right."

"Huh?"

"Ah yes, this is the Star, in the upright position." Igor gestured to the third card. "It represents Hope."

The cards disappeared. "It would seem then, that you are destined to undertake the undoing of the threat of fear's grasp, repelling it before it snakes across every crack and corner of this world. And to do that, you shall be guided by Hope - positivity, determination, willpower. Perhaps you are the Guardian that Hestia foresaw after all."

 _Hestia? Fear? Hope? Guardian?_ What? Ciel shook her head. This was almost too much to take in.

"Ahem." The girl beside Igor cleared her throat loudly.

"Ah, yes, I've almost forgotten to introduce my assistant. This," Igor gestured to her. "is Penelope. Not unlike myself, she is a denizen of the Velvet Room."

Penelope bowed. "Yes, I am Penelope. My role will be to assist you on your journey through various means. Though what those means are...I'm afraid we'll have to save those for another time."

Igor then made appear on the table a piece of paper, and a pen. "This is the "contract" that we speak of." He explained. "It shall give you the power to defeat Fear, and "revive this falling world" as Vesta put it. There is only one condition, as you will see. Please, sign here." He indicated the space at the bottom of the paper.

Ciel read it. There really was only one condition:

" _I shall take responsibility for all my own actions."_

She blinked. If that was it, then it was very likely that what loomed ahead was big.

She picked up the pen, and hesitated. Was this even real? If it was, how much would it change her life, then? But...then the threat of Fear would be real. The world was in grave danger, and she was very well the only one who could save it. _"The Guardian"_.

Ciel breathed deeply, nodded, and signed her name on the paper.

"Magnificent." Igor said, making the pen and paper disappear. "Your tale has only just begun, Ciel Takehara. The details, we shall discuss later. Until then, farewell..."

Ciel saw the Velvet Room fade away from in front of her, and soon she fell back into a deep sleep, yet still troubled by what she had just experienced.

* * *

**Morning, Monday, April 28, 2014**

The first day of school came with a flash.

"Our main story this morning," Said the woman on the TV screen as a news segment on the Hunting Party began. "is a recent string of mysterious disappearances in Vakashi..."

"Vakashi?" Shijin raised an eyebrow upon hearing the name. "That's dangerously close."

The news anchor went on to state that "While there has been no concrete theory as to how they went missing, investigators suggest that their disappearances are connected to the terrorist group known as the Hunting Party."

 _The Hunting Party..._ They were all over Japan these days. Ciel wondered if her "journey" might have something to do with them, but quickly shook the thought as she left for school.

* * *

Monomori Academy was only a walk away from Ciel's residence. _"Let's see, I'm in class 3-T...that's Ms. Toukagawa's class..."_

It wasn't long before she found her homeroom - located near a corner on the second floor. The door was already open, and school had yet to truly begin. Ciel knocked the door as she walked in to grab the attention of her homeroom teacher.

"Oh!" Ms. Toukagawa moved swiftly to Ciel upon noticing her. "You're the transfer student, correct? Ciel Takehara?"

Ciel nodded.

"Well, homeroom starts shortly, so I suggest you go find your seat, which is..." Toukagawa pointed towards an empty chair and desk next to the wall opposite the door, in the second row from the front down. "Over there, right next to Arika Kanaichi."

Ciel moved to her spot, and took note of the girl next to her who was apparently Arika Kanaichi. She wore the school uniform with a dark blue coat, the latter not on her body but hanging from her chair. She had natural-looking orange hair ( **I refuse to say redhead** ) which was shoulder-length, with a coiled horizontal line of hair tied level to her ears, and brown eyes. She also looked a bit cold and, for some unknown reason, slightly intimidating.

Ciel didn't really bother studying the other students that surrounded her because didn't look as interesting, and bell rang just then, signaling the start of homeroom.

* * *

The day passed by far quicker than Ciel had anticipated, and it seemed like only an hour or two before she was packing up and going home. She noticed Arika at the entrance, beside a first-year girl who seemed to share her hair color.

"-and then I popped out a Strider and had it join the assault, and Touko's army got absolutely annihilated because her Nog army were mostly Skogs and Viperlinds and those were easily counte-"

"Kaede, as much as I would like to hear about your exploits in the Esports club, we'll save that for when we get home, okay?"

Ciel concluded that Arika and this Kaede girl were in fact siblings, with Arika being the older one. She seemed to be rather responsible too.

Then Ciel suddenly brushed up against someone. "Oh, excuse me-" She apologized quickly, but stopped when she noticed the blue clothes and short brown hair of the girl she'd bumped into. She turned around, but found no one looking like the Velvet Room assistant.

Needless to say, that little episode left Ciel with quite a few questions. The most notable was, " _What is Penelope doing here?"_

It still rung in her mind as she turned around to leave, only to see yet another face.

"Oh, hey!" Kazuya waved, moving towards her. "Wasn't actually expecting to see you here. Feels kinda weird, really - we've only just met for less than a week and now I'm already going all buddy-buddy with a senior." He paused, flinching. "Wait, did that sound bad?"

Ciel chuckled. "No, not at all, don't worry. Where's your friend?"

"Oh, Yuki? She's already gone. Being a teen idol makes you pretty busy, apparently."

Ciel's phone rang, signaling a call. While rummaging through her bag for it, however, she noticed something that wasn't there before: a handle, with a symbol of half a flower carved atop the pommel. A numbered lock-like mechanism occupied the other end of the hilt, with the three rotatable numbers showing "0-0-0".

" _Great. I wasn't imagining_ _Penelope appearing after all. She must have slipped this into my bag when I brushed past her."_ Ciel sighed as she took out her phone and answered the call, which was from her dad. "Hello?"

"Hey, kiddo. Just calling to tell you I won't be home for this afternoon, got a few more settlement things to do. I'll be back at seven."

"Got it, Dad."

"So, how was school today?"

"Mm, it was pretty decent. Oh, uh, it's a bit loud here, so...I guess I'll tell you the details when you get home, Dad."

"Understandable. Well, see you, honey."

"Bye, dad." Ciel hung up, giggling faintly. Hearing her father call her "honey" was a rare occasion - he preferred the less expressionate and more friendly "kiddo", which Ciel didn't mind even though it sounded more for boys.

When she turned around though, Kazuya was gone.

_"Oh well. Guess I'm going straight home."_

* * *

 

When Ciel neared her house, she noticed a young woman talking to a couple while writing on a notepad. Judging by this and the camera around her neck, Ciel concluded that this woman was a journalist. For some reason, she seemed a bit familiar...but Ciel couldn't get a grip on why.

She walked by just as the journalist bode farewell to the couple she had just finished interviewing. Spotting Ciel, she called out and hurried over. "Hey! Mind if I take some of your time? It'll be short, don't worry."

Ciel smiled. "It's nothing."

"Great! I'm Akane Shiramuya, an amateur journalist," The woman introduced herself. "and I'm just going to ask a few questions. Simple as that. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. OK?"

"Alright."

"Now, first things first...What do you think of the terrorist group that's been running rampant in Japan lately? You know, the Hunting Party?"

Ciel flinched. That was rather blunt. "I...Well, I'm not entirely sure. I mean, yes, of course they're terrible people, but I don't know what their motive is, or why the police haven't caught them yet, or..."

"OK, you don't really know much about that topic. Understandable." Akane had been writing feverishly on her notepad for the duration of the interview. "Now, let's say you could do something to stop them. What would it be?"

"I'd say...maybe I could try to save the victims they've been targeting, or undo the organization itself...If I had some sort of special power, then...I could fight them...I guess?"

Ciel noticed that Akane had paused, and her smile had faded a bit. "O-oh, I see. Right, well," The journalist quickly regained her cheery demeanor as she continued.

Ciel didn't take much note of this as she continued speaking with the young amateur journalist before Akane thanked her for her time, and parted ways with her.

* * *

**Evening, Monday, April 28, 2014**

Rummaging through her bag, Ciel found and picked up the object that Penelope had given her. Considering what happened last Friday night in her dreams...this thing needed to have significance.

Shaking her head, Ciel put the handle on her desk, and took her set of nightwear with her as she went to take a shower with the intent of clearing her mind.

" _What do I do now? What exactly is that thing Penelope gave me? And what is this special power Igor mentioned?"_ These were just a few of the questions that ran through her mind, as the warm water flowed through her head and down her body. All seemed to ring the same essential theme: What now?

She didn't know the answer.

Even once she walked back into her room, fresh and reinvigorated, she still didn't know. Shaking her head, she turned off her lights and went off to try and slee-

Wait. Hold it.

Was her lamp...glowing? Ciel was certain she had not left it on, and yet here it was shining an orange color in the darkness of her room. The light did not illuminate the room, however, and if she turned the other way it would not be visible. But there was something else. The handle that Penelope had given her was also glowing, in the same color.

Ciel picked the handle up, wondering if it and the glowing lamp were connected. The numbers at the hilt still read, "0-0-0".

As she neared the lamp, the handle in hand, the latter suddenly lit up even brighter, revealing a blade made out of light from the other end of the hilt.

Then, out of pure curiosity, she struck the lamp with the Light Knife. And in seconds, the lamp suddenly began to emit orange particles, and Ciel's vision filled with light...

* * *

**NOW ENTERING LOST WORLD:**

**The Abyss**

The first thing Ciel could think of to describe her destination was "grim".

She was standing atop a hill, with a dense forest and several ruined buildings beneath her. The ground, buildings, trees and overall environment were all coated in colors of bleak black and gray, with some of the leaves red. The sky was gray-red, matching the color scheme of what lay below it.

But the most disturbing part of this place were the...people...that inhabited it. They were simply black silhouettes, with red eyes, shambling around like zombies.

The whole place made her afraid. The silhouettes didn't seem to take note of her, however, as she descended. There was no orange-colored lamp where she landed, so she didn't know where to go to get out... At least her Light Knife was still with her, though it seemed of no use right now.

With every step she took, every grim sight she saw, it stressed her out more and more.

Feeling something on her hips, she looked and noticed a device that displayed a percentage that was orange: 70%.

 _What is this?_ She wondered. But there was no time to try to find an answer...

She her a rustling in one of the trees, and saw a hooded figure with a sword cut down one of the zombie-like silhouettes. "What the-?"

But the figure disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, with several other of the silhouettes chasing after him. "H-hey!" She called out to him. "Wait!"

But there was no answer.

The more Ciel went around, the more a realization started to come to her: She wasn't getting out.

"Anyone?! Help!" She screamed again.

No one came. Just the sight of the silhouettes.

Ciel fell to her knees, clutching her head. What was going on? Was she ever going to get out of this nightmarish place? Had she made her final mistake?

"No...!" She screamed, clutching her head in terror. "No! NO!"

**ALERT! Ciel Takehara's Stress Level has reached 100%!**

* * *

The sky suddenly turned blood red, a harsh wind began to blow, and the cries and howls of presumably the silhouettes echoed across the Abyss. Ciel looked up from her fetal position, and saw the shamblers had noticed her, some even beginning to limp slowly towards her.

" _Run!"_ A feminine voice rang inside Ciel's head. " _Run!"_

And run she did. Ciel didn't know where her legs were taking her, but it was the only thing she knew how to do right then - run.

But unfortunately, she didn't get very far. The hordes of the zombie-like silhouettes seemed endless, and soon the poor girl was surrounded on all sides by them.

Ciel looked around desperately for a way to escape, but there seemed to be none. But with almost all hope lost, her vision suddenly turned white again...

* * *

 _"I'm not facing my death right now?"_ , Ciel noticed when she came to. She was instead in a large room, with torches burning a white fire on her left and right - and in front of her, a huge, feminine figure, bound to the wall, her appearance all radiating a white light. She looked somewhat like a cross between a giant human and a moth.

"My child, you have arrived." The figure spoke, and Ciel recognized it as the voice that had encouraged her to flee. "I am Hestia, the Godmother of all Personas, and consort to Philemon."

"You...called me here?" Ciel asked, trying to be polite as possible to this figure who had potentially just saved her life.

"Indeed, my child, and just in time as well. What you have just experienced, my child, is no dream, or nightmare. It is real, though separate from your world. And...it seems, most importantly, that you are the one I have been seeking for so long."

 _"The_ _Guardian?_ " Ciel remembered what Igor had told her during her brief first visit to the Velvet Room.

"The time has come, my child." Hestia continued. "Accept your power. Show me you have the will to pull the world away from the brink of destruction." And with her words, a bright white sphere appeared on top of Ciel, slowly lowering itself towards her. Ciel reached out to touch it, and immediately she felt herself transforming, a wave of comfort washing over her.

When the light around her subsided, Ciel noticed a mirror now in front of her, and in it her reflection. She had changed. Now, she was wearing a dark (Oxford) blue tailcoat that covered her torso and stretched down to her knees, a plain matching shirt underneath it, black leggings, ankle high boots, and black leather gloves. She even had a hood implemented into her coat, but found that she couldn't use it as her long hair was in the way. "I should tie up my hair next time." She thought.

Then, Ciel noticed something else on her left hip: a katana, in its sheath. Astonished, she drew it. "I-is this real?"

Hestia smiled. "Blade and all, my child."

A weapon was the only thing Ciel had been given, as she also felt lighter, faster, stronger, and even, more sharp-minded.

"So..." Ciel asked, sheathing her weapon. "Is this the "special power" I'm getting?"

"Not exactly." The Persona Godmother replied. "Look behind you."

So Ciel turned around, and was taken further aback by what she saw. A large woman with short black hair, wearing a blue dress with orange sleeves and an orange scarf, was hovering in the air, a flower in one hand and a lantern in the other.

"This is the power of a Persona," Vesta explained. "the physical form of your will, your mind, and it is how you shall combat the Shadows that roam these Lost Worlds."

The Persona bowed. "I am Elpis, the incarnation of thy Hope. Together, we shall illuminate this world...I am thou...Thou art I..." With that, Elpis morphed into a small white sphere and flew into Ciel's body.

"You may summon Elpis by throwing off the barrier that shields you from the world - that is, your Cloak." Hestia continued. "It is much simpler than you might think, my child. Simply pull it with the intention of removal, and it shall detach from you without you having to go through the actual process. Simply pull it off with the intent of removing it, and it shall detach from you smoothly and elegantly."

"Mind you, Elpis shall not be the only Persona you will be calling upon during your journey, for you are what Philemon calls a "Wild Card. Nor will you be treading this long and dangerous path alone. Indeed, there shall be 7 other like-minded individuals who shall accompany you on your journey."

"So...these Shadows..." Ciel spoke up, dispelling a part of her surprise. "Are they the...things I encountered in that dark world?"

"Close, but no. Those are rather special variations called the Forgotten, empty shells of those whose wishes were unfulfilled, left to feast on the fear of those who stray into the Abyss."

Ciel shuddered. "I-I see. All of this is just a lot to take in at once..."

"I understand, my child. Though from the look of your face it seems you have successfully managed to do so."

Light began filling Ciel's vision again. "I have naught more to say to you for now, my child." Hestia said. "Go now. Your journey has only just begun...Guardian..."

* * *

Ciel returned to the Abyss, bringing with her everything that Hestia had given her. The Forgotten, who were once chasing after her, now seemed actually reluctant to approach.

Ciel didn't care. She just wanted to get out of this dreadful place. And as Hestia said, these were just empty shells... Within her head rang a voice - that of Elpis:

_"Do it, Guardian. Summon your Persona!_

_Make incarnate thy resolve to save humanity!"_

"I hear you." Ciel whispered, gripping her tailcoat. She yanked her Cloak away and above her, and shouted the one word that had now cleared her mind: "Persona!"

The tailcoat floated in the air, glowed white, shattered into numerous pieces, then reformed into the outline of Elpis, who materialized with a flash...

And in that instant, Ciel knew that everything would be alright.


	2. Light's Watch, the Silent Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things I should explain first:
> 
> \- Elpis is the personification of hope in Greek mythology. I kinda just pulled her out of thin air for Ciel.
> 
> \- Hestia is the godess of fire, home and the hearth in also Greek mythology. Which explains all the fire metaphors.
> 
> \- I'll, uh, try not to make Ciel a pure Mary Sue. Her weakness will reveal itself soon, but not now.

"Persona!"

Ciel' cloak fluttered in the wind, flashed, shattered, and soon Elpis reappeared in its place. The Forgotten flinched, and stepped back, but maintained their encirclement of Ciel, who frowned. "Great…what now?"

As if reading her mind, Elpis spoke up. "Guardian, I can use Agi to burn them down, and pave the way for your flight."

"Very well then. Elpis, Agi!" Ciel pointed at a small area where the Forgotten circle seemed to be the weakest.

Elpis conjured up a fireball with her flower, and hurled it at the Forgotten, blasting away any of the silhouettes unfortunate enough to stand at its destination. Ciel immediately rushed towards the newly created opening, only to notice that 1 of the Forgotten had barely survived, and was standing in her way.

She decided she didn't want to use her Persona again – the mental effect it had on her was more than she expected, so she remade her Cloak, causing her Persona to disappear, and drew her katana.

Though horribly inexperienced with it, the katana was light in Ciel's grip, and the simple slice she managed was enough to cut down the Forgotten straggler and allow Ciel to escape the encirclement, leaving the others to slowly shamble after her, coming nowhere near her own speed. Finally, the red-eyed Shadows faded off into the distance, and Ciel paused to catch her breath.

Now the question was, " _How do I get out of here?"_

" _Lanterns are scattered throughout these lands."_ Elpis explained.  _"You still have your Light Knife, correct? Then you simply need to hit one of them with it, and you shall return to the real world."_

Ciel shrugged, panting.  _"Well, that did seem pretty obvious, now did it?"_

Her attention was suddenly caught by the sound of slashing and a male grunt from not too far away. To her right, she noticed the same figure she had seen from when she had just entered the Abyss, engaging with a couple of Forgotten. While most of the silhouettes were simple to destroy, he seemed to be having trouble with taking down what appeared to be a large, bulky, golem-like Forgotten.

"I can't join that battle right now, I'm too exhausted." Ciel panted. "But I can't just stand there and watch him potentially die! Elpis, is there anything I can do right now?"

" _Tarukaja." Elpis said. "I can enhance this figure's offensive capabilities for a short period of time. I suggest we do so when he is about to strike a weak point within the Forgotten."_

" _OK."_  Ciel nodded. The opportunity soon presented itself as the figure backstepped just to avoid an overhead smash, his one-handed sword now pointing directly at its lowered head.

"Now!" Ciel tore off her cloak. "Elpis, Tarukaja!"

The Persona appeared atop Ciel's head, raised her lantern, and beams of blue light flew towards the figure, rising from his feet into the air just as he drove his blade into the Shadow's face, causing the latter to roar in agony and reel back just as he pulled his sword out. Having heard Ciel's cry, he turned to her and narrowed his eyes, but noticed that the Forgotten golem was holding its head in pain.

"That attack was more powerful than I expected…I see." He smirked, then grabbed his own cloak and tore it off of him. "Perceval, Kouha!" A knight, wearing gray armor and wielding a claymore, appeared with a flash behind him, raised its sword in the air, and blasted the golem with a small ray of light, causing the Forgotten to roar weakly before toppling over backwards, dissipating in black smoke.

Perceval disappeared, the figure's cloak returned, and he turned back to Ciel. She could now see his appearance more clearly – his outfit seemed to resemble hers but with a few key differences: His coat was more akin to a cardigan coat, complete with 3 buttons diagonally aligned in the middle, a sling that was also diagonal across his chest, and whereas Ciel's outfit was dark blue, his was dark brown.

But most intriguingly, Ciel noticed that this boy actually looked to be her age.

"I…thank you." He said, before quickly walking off.

"W-wait!" Ciel called after him. "Where can I escape?"

The boy pointed slightly above him to the right. Following his finger, Ciel noticed a lantern glowing orange – her ticket out of the Abyss. She turned back to thank the boy, but he was already gone.

Sighing, she climbed up the small hill to the lantern and took out her Light Knife. The handle still remained as it was, and as she approached the lantern the light blade appeared once again.

" _Do remember, Guardian, that though I cannot directly accompany you to the real world, I shall always be in your mind."_ Elpis said.  _"I am thou. Thou art I. I shall be ready for your call when you return to the Lost Worlds…"_

" _That's good to know."_ For the first time since entering the Abyss, Ciel smiled.  _"Thank you, Elpis."_ She thought to her Persona as she struck the lantern with her Light Knife. Orange particles erupted from the lantern, and soon Ciel's vision was once again enveloped with light…

* * *

Opening her eyes, Ciel realized she had returned to her bedroom. Her Light Knife, now dormant, lay in her right hand, but otherwise there was no trace that she had been to the Abyss.

"That was…surreal." She sighed as she put the handle in a drawer. Overcome with fatigue from the recent succession of events that had just taken place, she fell asleep again, peacefully, the moment her head hit the pillow.

* * *

**Morning, Tuesday, April 29, 2014**

All of that which transpired within the Abyss still dominated Ciel's thoughts as she arrived at her first class of the day: History. As she settled down, a man with short brown hair and glasses arrived – their History teacher.

"Ah! You must be Miss Takehara!" He smiled. "I knew your old man. I'm Kazuo Uesugi – you'll be recognizing that surname soon enough – and I'm your History teacher for the year."

Ciel smiled back, trying to hide her surprise. This guy knew her father?

"Ah yes," Mr. Uesugi read her expression. "Me and Shijin, we go way back. I think he must have inherited his own love of history from me..."

The bell rang, and soon Ciel was distracted from her thoughts about the Lost Worlds as she became intrigued by this History teacher who was apparently her father's friend...

"Right," Mr. Uesugi said as the class settled. "Now, for the last week, we've been covering an overview of the basic details of the Sengoku period. First, as a primer for today's lesson, who can tell me at least 1 major clan who were prominent during this period?"

A couple of students stood up, sat back down, then Ciel heard her name. "Let's see...Ah! Miss Takehara! Why don't you take a shot?"

"Oh..." She stood up from her seat, racking her brain. The  _Sengoku Jidai_ was a rather popular topic among Japanese historians, and thanks to her father being one of them, she knew quite a bit as well. "Let's see... _I already heard Chosokabe...Oda...Tokugawa..._ Hattori?"

"Good one!" Mr. Uesugi clapped. "Yes, the Hattori lead nicely on from the previous answer, the Tokugawa. See, the Tokugawa had kisho ninjas at their disposal, yes, but the thing is, the Hattori did too, and theirs was  _better_. Now..."

* * *

**Lunchtime, Tuesday, April 29, 2014**

Ciel had nearly forgotten about the events of last night as she trudged off to the roof to eat her lunch alone. But on her way upstairs, she bumped into a rather...familiar figure.

As she turned a corner, among the other students she saw up ahead was a boy with brown neck-length hair. He noticed Ciel, stopped in his tracks, and his face turned into one of surprise and confusion. Ciel didn't take much notice initially, but when she glanced at this boy again she flinched, and stopped as well.

He seemed familiar, for some reason.

Only when the boy said, "You..." did Ciel realize who she was facing: The same figure she'd met inside the Abyss.

Her eyes widened. "Wait...are you..."

The boy closed his eyes, and sighed. "Ah, great...of course the only other Persona-user I know is studying right here, at this very school. How very convenient..."

Ciel frowned, and grabbed his hand, taking him by surprise. "We need to talk."

"Wha-?"

* * *

And so it was that Ciel dragged this boy to the rooftop, an empty area with several seats and a fence surrounding the edges.

"Right...sit down. And just so you know, my name's Ciel Takehara." Ciel said. "Now...am I going first, or are you going first?"

"Well-whatever, I'll explain." The boy said. "Yes, I am a Persona-user as well, just like you."

" _Hestia did say 7 other people would help me fight the Shadows..."_  Ciel thought as the boy suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Wait...why were you there? I can understand the Abyss being the first place you'd go to, since it's 0-0-0, but...you seemed to know how to fight. How long did you have your Persona?"

Ciel scratched her head sheepishly. "Actually...I just awakened to my Persona."

"What? In the Abyss?" The boy stood back up abruptly. "That's unheard of! The Abyss is supposed to be a repression of Hope, the very last place for a Persona to manifest! Unless..." He looked lost in thought for a second, but waved it off. "Ah, whatever. The point is, since you just awakened your Persona, you'd probably only know 1 Lost World to go to, and that's the Abyss. I can't have that - there are other,  **much**   **better** Lost Worlds you can go to." He sighed, then fished out a small piece of paper from his bag. "You know what? We'll talk later. Remember this number for now."

He took out a pen, and wrote on the paper the numbers "5-7-8". Handing the piece of paper to Ciel, he stood up and prepared to leave.

"W-wait!" Ciel called out, yet unable to comprehend the meaning of the number she had just been given. "A-at least tell me your name!"

When he arrived at the door, the boy paused. "I'm Ain Maurora. You'll find me again in Light's Watch." Then he went through the door and left, leaving Ciel alone on the rooftop.

She looked down at the number Ain had given her. "5-7-8". " _Wonder what this is..."_  She wondered as she dug out her lunch.

* * *

**Evening, Tuesday, April 29, 2014.**

As Ciel stepped back into her room, she noticed her lamp was glowing orange again. She was reminded of what she had seen in the Abyss.

Sitting down on her bed, she recalled the 3-digit number that had stayed in her head the whole day. " _5-7-8_ ". What did it mean, though? Was it some sort of key to a lock, or a code for some mechanism, or...

 _Wait._ Ciel grabbed her Light Knife, which lay on her desk.  _"What if it's for this...?"_  She turned the mechanism at the hilt to the numbers "5-7-8", brought it close to her glowing lamp, and soon the light blade appeared again. "Please don't take me to the Abyss." She prayed as she hit the lamp with her Light Knife...

* * *

**NOW ENTERING LOST WORLD:**

**Light's Watch - The Silent Town**

Instead of a black and grim background, what greeted Ciel was the gate to some sort of town, as she stood next to a lamppost, her clothes having changed from her nightwear to her Lost World outfit and Cloak. This town, however, seemed...abandoned. There was no one in sight. The night sky was a shade of dark blue, and the moonlight illuminated what lay beneath, as Ciel wandered around this seemingly dead town. There was a lighthouse in the distance, though Ciel ignored it for now.

However, she soon arrived at a square, with another lamppost, this one large, in the middle, and standing next to it, a very familiar face.

"Ah." Ain turned towards her. "You're here. You caught on quickly."

Ciel approached him while looking around. "So...this is a town?"

"Yup. There are still people around here, mind you - just not a lot, as you've probably figured out. Now, first things first," Ain pointed to a giant blue lantern in the middle of the square. "See that?"

"Uh...yeah?"

"That's the Central Lantern. It's the only lantern that can take us to  _other_  Lost Worlds, instead of just back to the real world like everything else."

Ciel's eyes widened. "There are...other Lost Worlds?"

"Of course there is. But we're not getting there yet." Ain replied, looking Ciel over. "I mean, you do look combat-ready, but there are a few things you're missing. Follow me."

Ain led Ciel to a small building with a sign displaying 2 swords crossed. Walking inside, she was met with the sight of various weapons and pieces of armor hanging on the walls or on stands - and in front of her, a masked man.

"Well!" The masked man stood up, greeting Ain with a handshake. "Back for more, eh? Ah, who would this be?" He asked, indicating Ciel.

"She's, ah...my ally."

"Mm, I see. Well, any friend of Mr. Maurora is a friend of mine. Now, what can I do for you?"

"Well," Ain said, "first you could inspect her weapons, see what's the deal with them and if there's anything you can do. She's new, by the way, but I'd personally say her gear looks pretty decent. Also, see if you can give her a gun. It's weird she doesn't have one - I remember my pistol came with my awakening.

" _A gun?_ Wait, Ain, you have a gun?" Ciel asked, surprised.

"Yeah." He replied, pulling a pistol out of a holster on his right hip. "It's quite handy, you know. Can't always afford to fight up close, and there's no better alternative to simple long-range combat than this. Now, give Leichrion your sword, will you?"

"Oh, right." She took the scabbard holding her katana and put it on the table in front of them. "Thing is, I've never really fought with a katana before, so I may be a little-"

"Don't worry about that. Same went for me - when I first awakened I didn't really know how to swing a sword. But it clicks eventually, you know. Just practice."

"That reminds me - how did you awaken your Persona?"

At that, Ain frowned in concentration, then sighed, looking...sad? "I...don't actually remember."

Ciel was taken aback by this. "You...you don't?"

They were interrupted by Leichrion - the masked man who apparently owned this gear shop - clearing his throat. "Well, need a gun, you say? This one's on the house - consider it a favor for a first-time customer who's also a friend of a friend.

Now, young lady," He dug out a box. "Tell me, what suits your fancy?"

"Err..." Ciel tried hard to think of a gun she would like, but blanked as she never really cared about such things. She looked to Ain, whispering "Help?"

"How about...maybe a revolver? She might not be able to handle the, uh, bigger stuff yet, but I could use someone with accuracy and firepower by my side. My pistol's mostly a "spray and pray" kind of thing."

* * *

The square was still empty when Ciel and Ain walked out. "So, great - you're all ready to fight a Shadow or two." Ain said. "I wish I could introduce you to the Underground Trail right now, but you look tired. So, get some sleep, and we'll talk again tomorrow. OK?"

"Actually..." Ciel replied, now staring at the lighthouse in the distance. "I...want to check out that lighthouse." It seemed familiar, though she couldn't get a grip on why. There was, of course, only one way to find out.

Ain followed Ciel's eyes. "Oh, that? That lighthouse - it's been active for about a week now, but it's been locked since forever, I can't get in no matter what. I don't know who the hell managed to turn the light back on, but- H-hey, Ciel!"

Ciel had rushed off in the direction of the lighthouse, and Ain tried to catch up with her.

* * *

The lighthouse rested atop a cliff, standing firm against waves crashing in from the seemingly endless ocean behind it. Ciel thought the Lighthouse seemed rather tall as she stepped up to the entrance.

Her hand held the doorknob, and then she heard Ain running to her from behind. "Wait- I told you, it's locked, you can't-"

But Ciel turned the doorknob anyway, and somehow, the door opened up, moving into the lighthouse interior."

"-open it..." This shocked Ain greatly. "...What the hell?"

He tried following Ciel in, but was forcefully repelled by some invisible forcefield in the doorway, which made it so that only Ciel could enter.

"Great." He sighed. "Looks like it's only you going in."

Inside, Ciel found a short, spiraling flight of stairs, leading up to a door. For some reason, it seemed nothing like the height she expected when she first looked at the lighthouse's height. But as Ciel trudged up the stairs, followed by a speechless Ain, she noticed that they arrived at their destination sooner than she thought. "Wait...am I at the top of the lighthouse already?" Indeed, the sound of the waves were now barely audible.

Ciel turned around, facing the door. Perhaps whoever was behind here would have answers to everything that was going on. She breathed deeply, and opened the door-

"Marvelous. Absolutely marvelous."

Ciel stopped dead at the sight of the two figures, one sitting behind a desk and clapping, and the other standing next to the former. Of all, the places she had expected to see them...it never included here.

It was Igor and Penelope. That meant this was the Velvet Room.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room, Guardian." Igor said. "It seems that not only have you manifested the power to defeat Fear incarnate, but you have also met your first companion.

"Have a seat. I realize that there is much I may need to explain. But...it is interesting, that our guest is able to freely bring her allies into the Velvet Room."

"This is where your partner shall refine her strength, simply put." Penelope answered. "How she does this will be made clear later."

"So...this Persona power...it's the "special power" you said I'd have, right?" Ciel inquired.

"Indeed, Guardian. It is the manifestation of your soul, your willpower and hope, your desire to fight for a brighter future..." Igor explained, "And this power can be improved by the bonds you forge with others. The stronger they are, Guardian, the greater the strength of Personas connected to those bonds."

 _"Power that increases with bonds, huh?_ " Ciel thought.  _"Guess I'll be making a lot of friends."_

Which posed a problem: Ciel was never really socially active. In public, she was always shy and withdrawn, and never really talked to strangers unless absolutely necessary. Now though, she'd have to rethink that,  _"I suppose this could be a blessing in disguise..."_

"Your journey begins here, Guardian." Igor continued. "Explore the Lost Worlds, take down the Tyrants that rule them, and disassemble the conspiracy that threatens the very balance of your world. That is your goal."

"Before you go, Ciel..." Penelope added. "The Godmother wants to see you."

 _"Godmother?"_ Ciel pondered the familiar word as she and Penelope walked back down the stairs. On the ground floor, she noticed another flight of stairs that weren't there before, going even further down, arriving eventually in front of 2 large twin doors. Penelope pushed the doors open, revealing a grand, huge chamber with white-flamed torches scattering the sides, and opposite the doors-

"My child, you have returned."

Yet more bewilderment filled Ciel's mind. " _Hestia?_ "

The giant, winged, bound and literally white feminine figure was still on the wall, glowing. Hestia's eyes met Ciel's. "It would seem that you have taken the first step to igniting your Hope within. Remember it, for it shall be the tool with which you shall repel the Shadows of Fear."

"I...what now?" Ciel stuttered. "Igor did say...my power increased with my bonds with other people. What exactly does he mean by that?"

"He means, my child, that by refining the connections you have with like-minded people, those same connections will strengthen with it those powers associated with them. There are different Arcanas, and many Personas which are then divided into those Arcanas. Simply, not only can you hone your Personas through battle, but also by interacting with those close to you."

"I...can have multiple Personas?"

'Indeed, my child. This is a special power, one of the Wild Card. You're the only one among those who travel with you who can wield the power of more than 1 Persona. As I said...Elpis is not the only one you shall call upon. Do remember that you were not the only Wild Card the Velvet Room has graced, for I can recall a blue-haired boy who conquered death itself, and another gray-haired boy who sifted through a fog of deceit to eventually find the world's truth...Ah, I'm rambling again.

Nevertheless, all you do shall power one thing: Hope. Many people have different views on what this could be. I see it, here, as a fire - beginning as a small spark amidst the roots of fear, but soon, it quickly spreads, burning down Fear's influence, until it eventually becomes an inferno, filling the darkness with Hope."

 _"That's...an interesting metaphor."_ Ciel thought.

"Nothing else can be said, my child." Hestia continued. "The Lost Worlds beckon, and should you ever seek support, you may visit me, or the Velvet Room. They have...services that can strength your Personas or create new ones. Go forth."

Ciel bowed out of respect, then followed Penelope out of the chamber, and eventually out of the lighthouse, where Ain waited.

"We hope to see you again, Guardian." Penelope said, smiling, as she closed the door to the lighthouse, leaving Ciel and Ain standing outside.

"So..." Ain spoke up after a period of silence. "What was that all about? What did you see in there?"

"...It's kinda hard to explain. Come on, let's just go back."

* * *

 **After Sc** **hool, Wednesday, April 30, 2014**

 

As school closed for the day, Ciel wondered about her next course of action following last night's visit to Light's Watch. She was so lost in her thoughts, in fact, that in the hallways she almost bumped into-

"Hey! Watch it!" Kazuya cried, narrowly sidestepping out of the way.

"Oh-oh god, I'm so sorry-" Ciel apologized quickly.

"...I don't have time for this anyway." Kazuya seemed to huff, going off.

 _"What? He seems a bit upset..."_ Ciel wondered. " _I wonder why?"_

* * *

Walking down the roads to her house, she stopped along with other students to let a train pass by. Looking around during her wait - she noticed a yet more familiar figure: Ain.

"Wha-" Ciel blinked when she noticed him standing next to her. "A-are you following me?"

"What? No." Ain replied coolly. "My dorm's this way as well."

"Oh. I see...sorry for jumping to conclusions like that."

"It's fine." Ain shrugged. "So, you live this way as well?"

"Yeah. Wait...you live in a dorm?" Ciel raised a brow.

"It's not far from here, just over there." Ain pointed forward, a bit to the left, where a large building could be seen. "Gadashiyai. A lot of other students who go to schools in this district live there too."

Ciel considered asking him about his family, but held off, realizing that she may be treading dangerous waters there.

"Hey..." Ain turned to Ciel. "That reminds me. If we're going to work together in the Lost Worlds, we should have some way to keep in touch."

"And how do you intend to...Oh, I see where you're going." Ciel took out her phone. "Here, let me give you my phone number..."

After an exchange of contact information, Ciel and Ain arrived at an intersection. "Well, this is where we part ways for today." Ain said. "Ah, are you free this Friday afternoon?"

"Uh-huh. Why?"

"I figured it's time for you to meet the denizens of the Underground Trail. There are more Lost Worlds out there than just the Abyss and Light's Watch, you know."

"I think I figured that out already. So, what's this Underground Trail?"

Ain paused. "Well, let's just say it's where most of our action will take place for now. You'll see when you get there. So, this Friday afternoon?"

"OK." She smiled. "I'll see you then."

"Yeah. Bye." He waved, walking off to the left where his dorm was. "Oh, and you should practice with that new katana of yours. You really need to know the basics if you're going to fight with that." He added as he left. "And your revolver too."

"I'll keep that in mind!" She called after him. Suddenly, time seemed to stop...

 _"What-?"_ Ciel's eyes widened as a blue card depicting a king appeared in front of her, the roman numeral IV appearing beneath it, as a voice rang in her head.

 

_"I am thou...thou art I..._

_Thou hast forged a new connection with the wanderers of humanity's light._

_With the power of the Emperor Arcana, the Guardian's fire burns ever brighter..."_

_"Huh. So this is one of those bonds Igor was talking about."_ Ciel thought.  _"I'll have to do research on what those Arcanas really mean. I'm fairly sure they're from the Tarot deck though."_

The card soon disappeared, and time resumed its normal pace. Shaking her head, Ciel set off again towards her home.

_"What is happening to my life?"_

* * *

"Welcome back, kiddo." Shijin greeted as Ciel closed the door. "Had fun at school?"

"It was..." Ciel hesitated. "...interesting."

Wandering innto her room, Ciel set her backpack down. Only then did she truly begin to assess her situation. She was no longer a normal high school girl living her life, but a girl with a strange power and the responsibillity of saving the world from Fear. She couldn't blame anything or anyone for this sudden change of circumstances, for after all the decision to sign the Velvet Room contract was hers, not anyone else's.

Still, she felt the changes were coming a bit fast, and wondered what was next for her.

Ciel sighed. This was going to be a long year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Perceval is one of the famous Knights of the Round Table. I chose him for Ain because it not only reflects his role as the sidekick of the main Guardian/Grail Warrior (in later literature anyway) but also as a parallel to the future existence of a FF.NET version, where Ain and Ciel swap places, relating to how Sir Perceval is replaced by Sir Galahad in later accounts. Also, Emperor-ish.
> 
> We'll really get going next chapter.
> 
> Stay tuned!


	3. Calm Before The First Storm

**Morning, Thursday, May 1, 2014**

"So that's the newspaper you edit for, Dad?" Ciel asked at breakfast, pointing at the paper her father was holding.

"Yep." Shijin smiled. "Pretty small, really, nothing special. Most interesting thing we've seen so far is this young lady called Akane Shiramuya, who keeps sending us articles about the Hunting Party threat that's been rising lately. They aren't bad, actually, and I admire her dedication."

 _"Akane Shiramuya, huh?"_ Ciel's thoughts drifted back to Monday afternoon, where she had met a young amateur journalist on her way home. _"Must be the woman I ran into on Monday."_

This was just one of the many things that ran through Ciel's head before she arrived at school. Most prominently, however, of which Ciel decided to try and figure out was, _"What is up with Kazuya?"_

* * *

She didn't have to go very far to find out. Mere seconds after entering the Monomori Academy building had she ran into a scene involving Kazuya and Yuki - the former looking particularly miffed.

"Fine!" Ciel heard Kazuya shout. "If you want to just throw away everything _we've_ done like that, go ahead!" And he stormed off, leaving a shocked Yuki with her eyes wide, reaching out after her friend, yet unable to move herself.

Ciel pushed through the small crowd that had gathered, and were now dispersing, talking amongst themselves. "Yuki?" She said, snapping the junior out of her daze.

"O-oh!" Yuki yelped, unaware before of Ciel's presence. "Oh...I..."

"What happened?" Ciel asked, causing Yuki to droop her head.

"I-I don't know. I'll explain somewhere else..." Then, Yuki lead Ciel to a more secluded part of the corridors, where few wandered, and began to tell her story.

"All I did was tell Kazuya I wanted to stop being an idol for a while." She sighed. "I don't know where to go with this career, because even though it was what I wanted, I felt like I wasn't ready. I don't know why it upset him, but..."

"Do you think it's because he likes you better as an idol?" Ciel asked.

"No. We knew each other before I made it. But..." Yuki shook her head. "I think he's angry because he thinks I'm just giving up that fast. I'm not. But Kazuya did a lot for me. I don't think I would have gotten this far if it weren't for him...So I think he's mad because he thinks I'm throwing away everything he did for me last year...but..."

Silence.

"...I don't know. I don't know what exactly is hindering me from progress. Maybe it's because I'm not taking risks, or I'm too afraid to do...bigger things, but I really don't know what's holding me back from doing those things."

Ciel said nothing. " _So, to sum up, Kazuya is upset with Yuki because he thinks she wants to quit, and forget all he did for her. Yuki isn't actually quitting, but it sounds like so because she is considering it, since she's afraid she won't get any further than where she is right now...What could be stopping her, though?"_

The bell rang, and Yuki almost seemed to jerk awake at the sound. "O-oh! I'm sorry, I took too much of your time-"

"No, it's fine." Ciel smiled sadly as she trudged off to her class. "We can talk about this later...okay?"

* * *

**After School, Thursday, May 1, 2014**

As it happened, however, neither Yuki nor Kazuya were seen after school, no matter how hard Ciel tried to search for them in the building. _They must have left already. "_ She concluded, eventually leaving herself.

However, her father had called to inform her once again that he was coming home late - he seemed to be rather busy these days. So instead of going straight home, Ciel wandered around the area for a bit. Buying something wasn't a bad prospect, since Ciel had yet to use her willingly-meager allowance.

She stopped at what seemed to be a small shop, with a sign on the front stating,

**"Mina's Herb Tea Shop**

**Come in for some refreshments!"**

"Mm...alright." Ciel shrugged, and entered. She was greeted with the interior of what seemed to be a cross between a cafe and a shop, with tables and chairs scattered in cafe fashion, and packets displayed on the walls - and at the counter, one young, dejected-looking woman, who immediately perked up when she saw Ciel enter.

"Oh! Hello!" The woman chirped, seeming pleasantly surprised at Ciel's arrival. She quickly grabbed a menu. "Here for some tea? Or would you like some of my herbs?"

 _"'My'? Does she own this shop?"_ Ciel wondered as she sat down, finding the woman's enthusiasm a bit awkward for her. "Er...what drinks do you have?"

* * *

"So?" The young woman asked Ciel nervously, fidgeting as the latter took a sip of her iced tea. "H-how is it?"

"Erm...Miss?"

"It's wonderful." Ciel smiled. She was genuine - Ciel had no idea that iced herbal tea could taste as good as what she had just experienced. She felt fresh. Reinvigorated.

"R-really?"

"Yeah." Ciel's response made the woman beam.

"Oh, thank you, thank you! _Arigato_!" The woman bowed. "I haven't had a lot of customers lately, much less a compliment...You don't know how much this means to me!"

 _"She's passionate about her job, I can tell."_ Ciel thought. _"I like that."_

As Ciel finished her admittedly delicious drink, the woman asked, "Um...will you be coming back?"

"Of course." Ciel replied.

"Oh, great! That reminds me, I don't mean to advertise or anything, but you know, you can buy the tea packets from here if you want to drink them at home, unless you like sitting here, of course. Oh yeah..." The woman rushed over to her counter and produced a business card. "I've been waiting to give one of these out. I don't do deliveries, but if there's anything you need to, er, ask, you can call me. Not that I think you need to..." She scratched her head sheepishly.

Ciel looked down at the card she'd just received. _"Miu Minasako"_ said the name written on it.

As she left, with Miu waving after her, she thought she'd be back before long, and not just for the drinks. Something about Miu's energy made her pleasant to be around.

* * *

**Evening, Thursday, May 1, 2014.**

**NOW ENTERING LOST WORLD:**

**Light's Watch, the Silent Town**

When Ciel arrived at the lamppost signalling the entrance to Light's Watch, she met yet another person who wasn't there before: a samurai woman standing next to the lamp, katana and all, with a blue piece of cloth hanging from from her waist. Her head was white and tied up in a ponytail, which reminded Ciel of the Velvet Room assistant Penelope, but this figure didn't have the same golden eyes - rather, they were hazel.

"I've been waiting for you." She said, gripping her katana. "You are the fabled Guardian, yes?"

"Er..." Ciel didn't know what to make of this. "...Yes?"

"I figured as much. Very well then, I intend to...test you."

"Wha-?!" The last thing Ciel expected was for the figure to draw her katana, and point it at Ciel.

"I understand you have yet to fully acquaint yourself with your own weapon. So, this is not a test of your skill - rather, your spirit." The challenger lowered herself into a battle stance, gripping her katana diagonally near her abdomen while turning slightly to the right. "Face me in battle. Show me you have the resolve to protect the human world. Show me you have what it takes be the Guardian that humanity needs."

"Guh..." Ciel quickly forgot about any attempts to protest she would have made as she drew her own katana. The figure immediately lunged towards her, and she barely managed to bring her blade up to block the charge.

"Such a stance would render you vulnerable to being knocked down from an attack like this." The challenger stated, glancing at Ciel's feet. "Step your right foot back."

_"I-is she teaching me?!"_

For reasons that should be fairly obvious, the challenger had proven to be far more aggressive than Ciel was, owing due to her infinitely superior swordsmanship and experience.

Realizing that she could not best her challenger at melee, Ciel stepped back and ripped off her Cloak, summoning Elpis. "Agi!" The resulting fireball slammed into the challenger with force, pushing her back slightly. She stood up quickly however, and produced from thin air...a pocket watch?

"Two can play at that game." She smirked, crushing the watch in her hand. "Orpheus, Agilao!"

A dark blue indigo figure, with a large, blank, blue banner worn on his back, appeared atop the challenger, wielding a lyre. _"Another Persona?"_ Ciel grimaced, as Orpheus Dotai stummed his lyre, conjuring a fireball larger than that of Elpis', and launched it at Ciel, who narrowly dodged left with a burn on her right arm.

Ciel had no time to care about this burn, as the challenger was readying herself again for another charge. At least the hit had not been as hard as she thought, for the most part in thanks to Elpis being resistant to Fire attacks like the one casted by Orpheus Dotai.

"Hm, it seems I have forgotten my affinities." The pocket watch, which had reappeared in the challenger's hand, began to levitate on her hand, before emitting a shattering glass sound, blue particles, and falling back onto the challenger's palm. "Prepare yourself, Guardian, for this attack will not be so merciful. Izanagi, Zionga!"

 _"What-?! Multiple Personas?"_ Ciel's eyes widened at the armored, glaive-wielding, same-blue-banner-wearing blue figure appearing behind the challenger. Izanagi Dotai spun his glaive above himself, and soon Ciel heard the crack of thunder, before-

The lightning strike sent a surge of searing pain through Ciel's body, and she fell onto her knees, planting her katana into the ground for the support she desperately need to stay standing. Yet she remained, grimacing, barely but still managing to get back up.

"Still standing, huh?" The stranger seemed surprised at first, then smirked. "I like that."

Somehow, Ciel had gained more vigor from nearly being one-shotted, as she came at the challenger more aggressively, and seeming to fight more efficiently. Yet no matter how hard the Guardian tried, the inevitable victor of the duel was still painfully obvious.

In an attempt to imitate the challenger's superior sword skills, Ciel lowered herself, set her foot back, pointed her katana at the stranger, who had just recently had another attack dodged,and quickly lunged, performing a thrust. The challenger looked at her, and a grin appeared on her mouth, which gave away a hint of...pride?

Ciel just barely had time to question this before she suddenly realized her attack had missed, having hit thin air where the stranger formerly was. Before she could recover, she saw a foot stamp down on her weapon, nearly knocking her off balance, and then a palm smacked her hard on the back of her head. Ciel fell hand/face-first, dazed, and when she tried to get back up, she stopped midway.

She could almost _feel_ the blade held against her nape.

"Impressive." The challenger said. "You may not have defeated me in physical combat, but that isn't what matters, for strength can be trained. What does matter is the test of willpower. And I must say, you aced it." She sheathed her katana, making an audible sound that essentially told Ciel to stand up.

 _"So...that was her intention then."_ Ciel thought as she turned around to face the stranger. _"To test me."_

"Do remember to hone your technique, Guardian." The latter continued. "Sooner or later, you'll make Igor proud, whether he actually shows it or not."

... _Wait._

"You...know Igor?" Ciel arched a brow. There were only three people she knew who had ever set foot in the Velvet Room-

The samurai stranger flinched, apparently just realizing what she had just blurted out, then burst out laughing. "Ah, yes! Forgive me my sense of the theatrics." Then she bowed, and a cloud of blue smoke surrounded her, eventually dissipating to reveal-

"P-Penelope?!"

Indeed, it had turned out that Ciel's challenger was in fact her Velvet Room assistant Penelope. She had not expected her to be able to fight. At all.

"I-I didn't know you could do that." She stuttered.

Penelope's smile faded a bit. "Actually...I don't know _why_ I could. I've had this power for as long as I can remember, which kind of sets me apart from the other Velvet assistants. But..."

"What's wrong?" Ciel asked.

The Velvet Room assistant sighed. "I don't know. I only remember that I woke up some time ago in the Velvet, and all I remember is that I had these powers, and that I was the one who brought Persona-users together, and...essentially, I had a very important role that I played from the shadows. I think I've seen...2 other Wild Cards before you, but we've never really met in person."

The last part surprised Ciel slightly. _"So there are still others with my power...huh."_ Then, deciding to change the topic to avoid causing Penelope further discomfort, she said, "So...Do you think you could help me learn how to use my katana?"

Penelope perked up. "Hm?"

"I mean, I'm new to all this, and as you probably might have seen, I have never really used a katana before in my life. But seeing as you're good at it, can you please, er, teach me how to do it?"

The assistant smiled, morphed by blue smoke back into her samurai form, and drew her katana. "With pleasure."

Thus, the sounds of combat rang throughout the air, with occasional grunts and Penelope's guiding interjections accompanying them. It wasn't long before...

"Congratulations." Penelope said, sheathing her katana. "You now know the basics of swordsmanship."

 _"It would appear that your physical technique is not the only thing that has grown, Guardian."_ Elpis spoke within Ciel's mind as the latter panted from exhaustion. " _My attributes seem to have improved, and I have learned a new skill as well: Dia, allowing me to heal your and others' wounds."_

 _"She learned to heal from constant fighting?"_ Ciel wondered, slightly confused, but she wasn't complaining. Considering she was to work with Ain onward, the ability to heal herself and her allies would prove more than useful.

Penelope reverted back to her assistant form. "Go now. You could use some rest." She turned towards the direction of the lighthouse. "I'll be waiting in the Velvet Room should you have anything else needed of me."

Ciel couldn't agree more, and it didn't take long for her to strike the nearest lantern with her Light Knife.

* * *

**Night, Thursday, May 1, 2014.**

There it was again.

That nightmare.

The environment around her was the core of a swirling, crimson vortex, with the winds so strong they obscured anything behind them from vision. Ciel once again stood in a group of 8 people, her included, and in front of her, another woman, having fallen on her knees, clutching her head in what seemed to be a mixture of terror and pain.

Ciel still felt compelled to help this agonized woman somehow, but she didn't know how she could.

However, there was one major thing that caught her eye. One of the faceless people standing directly next to her was no longer faceless, and she nearly gasped when she saw their appearance.

It was Ain.

Barely since had she registered Ain's presence was Ciel suddenly dragged back into reality. As she jerked awake again on her bed, she wondered if this was supposed to be random or not.

_"What was all that supposed to mean?"_

* * *

**Morning, Friday, May 2, 2014.**

Rather surprisingly, when she arrived at school, she noticed both Kazuya and Yuki. However, the moment they noticed each other, both changed course and headed into separate hallways, as if they were deliberately avoiding each other. It seemed that whatever conflict they had were driving them apart further and further.

Ciel wanted to do something, as always. So, after a moment's thought, she went after Kazuya. "Hey! Kazuya!"

The second-year boy turned around. "Ciel? What is it?"

"..." Ciel sighed when she got to him. Then she grabbed his arm. "We need to talk."

"Wha-?!"

* * *

Dragging new friends off for a serious, private discussion was becoming something of a habit for Ciel. Not that she liked it.

"I need you to tell me," She started. "about what the hell is going on between you and Yuki."

"I..." Kazuya opened his mouth to protest, but thought otherwise. "...it's complicated." Before he could stop himself, or Ciel could stop him, Kazuya was already telling her everything he knew about the rift being created between him and his friend.

From what Ciel could gather after listening to him, combined with Yuki's side of the story, the latter had taken part in some sort of competition a year ago. Kazuya was there to support her, all the way, confidently telling her that he knew she was going to win. It wasn't a thing between lovers. Just really good friends, doing what they were meant to do.

Yet it still surprised both, and everyone around them, greatly when Yuki had indeed come out the winner. It was then official that Yuki's lifelong passion of becoming an idol took off. But it seemed to be some sort of one-hit wonder. Aside from a few performances after her breakout hit, Yuki did not climb up the ladder or gain any more fame than she already had.

"She has a secret." Kazuya said. "And by trying to keep it that way, she's hindering herself."

"What secret?" Ciel asked, but instantly knew she'd gone too far.

"...It's better if you don't know."

And so, Yuki intended to take a break, to reassess her current circumstances, to try and figure out how she could keep going. Kazuya didn't see it that way. He knew that she, and she alone, was the one holding her back from going further. And so to Kazuya, it had seemed as if the aspiring idol was quitting. That she was throwing away everything he had done for her, even if she was the one holding herself back.

But then again, it was partly Kazuya's fault for misunderstanding and overreacting. But Ciel kept that thought to herself.

"Have you considered what Yuki herself could be feeling?" Ciel asked.

Silence.

Kazuya's head fell. "...No. I didn't." He sighed. "But...even if I did, I don't think I'd ...she loves being an idol. I don't know why she'd suddenly be like that."

Ciel was about to state her own perspective, but then the bell rang for homeroom. "Oh...Right." She sighed, picking up her duffel bag. "I...have to go to class now. I'll...talk to you later."

* * *

**Lunchtime, Friday, May 2, 2014.**

_"My life has changed so much in just a short period of time..."_ Ciel mused as she ate lunch, alone on the rooftop, beneath a clear sky. Indeed, it had only been a couple of weeks after her arrival at Halladia Island she unlocked her power of Persona.

But if this was what it took to...save the world?...then she had no qualms about it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door leading out to the rooftop area clicked, opened, and out came a familiar figure.

"I was expecting to see you here." Ain smiled as he closed the door behind him. "It's kinda weird, though. Do you usually eat alone like this?"

"Since I began studying here, yeah." Ciel replied. "I guess I'm used to it, but having someone with me is actually pretty pleasant."

"Does that mean I can sit here then?" He motioned to the spot next to Ciel.

"Sure." She nodded. Ain set his bag down, and then seated himself next to his new friend. They ate in silence for a long while. Ciel did not seem to mind the quiet.

But Ain did. "So...how're you enjoying Monomori so far?"

"Oh...It's not bad, really." Ciel shrugged. "There honestly hasn't been anything really interesting happening in school, not counting...well, you know what. Then again, I've only been here for a week or so."

"You're right..."

"You live alone, don't you?"

"Huh?" Ain scratched his head at Ciel's question, before realizing what she meant. "Oh, yeah, I don't really share my dorm room with anybody else."

"I guess it can pretty lonely there. Do you contact family often?" Ciel asked.

"..." Ain, normally talkative, suddenly fell uncomfortably silent. "Uh...Did I say something wrong?" Ciel added quickly, thinking she had overstepped some hidden boundary. "What's wrong with...you know...?"

"Oh, no, no, it's fine if you talk about them." He waved it off. "It's just...I don't know."

 _"'I don't know'? What?"_ She frowned. Two possibilities formed in her head: One, and the more likely one, was that he was orphaned from a very, very young age.

Two, a wild thought possibly formed as a result of her recent interaction with Penelope, was that he had amnesia.

 _"No, no, that's nonsense."_ Ciel shook her head, but couldn't dismiss the thought. _"Then again, not much makes sense nowadays..."_ She cleared her throat. "N-nevermind that. I'm sorry for pushing."

"It's all right." He sighed. "So, um, when did you come to Halladia?"

Ciel and Ain traded more questions about their personal lives before their lunch was finished. They found out about Ciel's talent of playing the keyboard, Ain's fondness for video games, and, after a salvo of slightly immature questions, that Ciel, while mostly reserved and responsible, sometimes showed a childish side - among other things.

"Ahem." Ain cleared his throat. "Anyway...I hope you remembered what we're gonna do tonight."

"Huh?" Ciel tilted her head to the side, racking her brain for "what" she would be doing that night, before she recalled that she was heading back into the Lost Worlds. "Oh, yeah. That."

"OK." He stood up, carrying his duffel bag with him. "I'll see you in Light's Watch, then."

* * *

**Evening, Friday, May 2, 2014.**

Ciel's phone rang. It's owner, fresh from stepping out of the shower, was quick to answer it. "Hello? Ain?"

"Ciel? You ready?"

"Oh, um, just a moment. I just got out of the shower."

"Right, understandable. I'm heading into Light's Watch now. Meet me near the Central Lantern. Oh, and make 100% sure that you have the code right. We can only go to one Lost World once per night. Well, more precisely, we can transition from Light's Watch to another Lost World, but after that we can only go back to the real world, and once we do that we're staying there. OK?"

"Yeah. I got it. Meet you there."

Sighing, she hung up, and dug out the Light Knife handle from her school bag." _This is surreal."_ She thought. One thing was clear, as she struck her glowing lantern with her Light Knife.

Her life had changed. It was now moving in a completely difficult route, one that Ciel could never have known existed, nor was it one where she could see what lay ahead.

She could only _hope._

_**"The tale of the Guardian has only just begun."** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're taking slow for a bit this chapter. Don't worry, we're about to get the the good stuff.
> 
> Another important thing: the update schedule. From now on, there'll be a new chapter every Friday, until the end of May. After that, Monday-Friday until the beginning of August. Simple as that.
> 
> If you managed to stick around for this long - thank you. I'm known for lame beginnings to stories, but next chapter is where the real fun begins. Next Friday!
> 
> Stay tuned!


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